Open Thread for Thursday
Victory in Sunland-Tujunga. Victory over billboards. Flukes, or has the tide turned for neighborhood activists? Discuss.
(Update: In case anyone was wondering why I didn't post up a Hotsheet today quite frankly I celebrated in Sunland-Tujunga last night a little too late. So sue me for having a cocktail!)
Labels: billboards, home depot, no home depot, sunland-tujunga
Posted by Michael Higby @ 1/08/2009 08:30:00 AM
30 Comments:
Wendy Greuel was awesome on this issue - she went to bat for the people of S-T
Wendy was a strong leader working for her community, unlike Jose Huizar on the Southwest Museum issue. Ewen his colleagues at City Council are saying that his failure to support his community is shocking. He could be a voice for sanity but instead takes the campaign contributions and likely promises of future political support from Autry musuem supporters and their paid lobbyists.
No doubt Wendy Gruel received similar offers of support from Home Depot and its lobbyists yet she stood strong. There is some real leadership at City Hall and in other spots there is just deadwood.
Can you put even less effort into this write up? "Discuss"
Thanks for nothing.
Open Thread means that Higby wants to sleep in, and not post a Hot Sheet.
Since noon is quickly approaching, it looks like Higby is more interested in hot cakes than a Hot Sheet.
Wendy Gruel rarely goes to bat for anything other than Wendy Gruel
950 and 954, you really need to put down the bottle and discuss the issues at hand.
Have a good day!
Yep, Wendy came out swinging for us! She has integrity and courage, and has proven to be an effective leader. Without Wendy's efforts, Home Depot would not have been required to follow the rules. That corporation tried over and over to intimidate and influence the City, lied about the community, and tried to duck under existing city and state regulations. 3 cheers for local control!
Mayor Villaraigosa has another important day ahead. Currently, this hour, here are the city challenges he is tackling during the citywide crisis:
10:00 AM -- PACOIMA -- Mayor Villaraigosa will provide remarks at the groundbreaking of Costco at Plaza Pacoima. 13500 Paxton Street, Pacoima, CA 91331.
Stop by and say hello to the official City mascot, Antonio Villaraigosa. Maybe he will hand you a helium balloon.
I still think Disney's Mickey Mouse is a better overall mascot than L.A. City's Villaraigosa, but Villar has moved past Scooby Doo at this point, I think.
10:11 AM,
Where's the disclaimer, "This message brought to you by Wendy Greuel for City Controller?"
10:11 AM is a bad sign that Villaraigosa is 100% behind Wendy.
Otherwise, why would the mayor's guy be spinning for Wendy? I thought Wendy was a little more independent, but I can see she is on Team Villar.
NOT GOOD.
Same old spin. Same old patterns. Same old wrong side of the issue.
Wendy G. is worried about Nick P. jamming the solar initiative up her behind. The Home Depot opponents can thank the anti-Prop B gang for their victory.
It looks like Wendy Greuel is posting favorable comment about herself again.
Oh, alright. Her public EMPLOYEES are doing it.
Wendy approved the parking meters without blinking an eye, and then threw the blame on others when it became a public complaint.
She goes to bat for no one other than herself and the direction that the wind is blowing.
Okay Wendy staffers. Now it's your turn to post again.
946 and 934 you are absolutely correct.
As someone who really liked Wendy (still like her as a person) and volunteered on her campaign (one of the few I've volunteered for in some time) I am disappointed.
I'm voting for our old family friend, Nick the Greek.
Nick the Greek?? You mean the symbol of excess over at the MTA, who was the consumate insider for YEARS, as a Richard Alatorre Ally, is now a reformer?
At least he is very well-coifed.
Zuma - you are funny, all this time, if MAV is the official mascot (which is funny), then you are the official outdoor pet of City Council.
When they feed you, do they put it in a bowl with your name on it, and give you a few atta-boys?
10:48 is that the best you could do?
Nick P has benefited enormously over the years for benefit of his contracting company, just like the other friends of Alatorre (Cordoba "construction," whose name is still on all the hauling vehicles and dumpsters etc.), George Pla (who also had his hand in many unrelated areas). Maybe he finally found a deal where he wasn't getting a share and didn't like it. Or maybe the political alliances were blowing in a different direction since Nahai came on board. But "outsider and reformer" he isn't.
11:21 - like they say "Only Nixon can go to China"
What's Wendy's record on reform vs Nick's? He did a great job at DWP.
WENDY SHOULD GO SIT DOWN!!! ANOTHER POLITICIAN ACTING!!!!
Wendy Greuel is NOT for the people. She's playing musical chairs and she needs to be defeated.
Doesn't she endorse/support Mayor Villar too?
People, don't drink the Wendy kool-aid PLEASE!!!!
The "Solar 8" hearing was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. this morning.
Any news on the ruling?
Yes Walter the word is the people won.
Bet you wish you had got on that train instead of treating Ron shabbily.
You picked the wrong team Walter.
You lose.
The Walter Moore team looks to be sunk. People are lining up behind Noel Weiss and Nick P not the folks Walter found at Wal-Mart to run.
Citizens are either voting for David Hernandez or Zuma Dogg for Mayor.
Lesson: If you're a jerk the people don't support you.
Walter may have the votes of some racist minutemen still.
Higby?? Patsouris is no outsider!!
When MTA was created, that bust of him at "PATSOURIS PLAZA" was an ATM Machine!!!
I will see your "only Nixon can go to China" and counter with a "meet the new boss, same as the old boss"
christ, michael.
do you think nick patsaourus is an outsider? he maybe tough to understand, but he ain't no outsider.
Funny no one's commenting on city's victory/ vindication over its 02 billboard policy, certainly not Ron Kaye. Maybe if you gave a shot at fair "reporting" once in a while you would be a tad more credible.
Too bad that it took so long in coming, though, and after a lower court agreed with the billboard companies that preventing them from placing any sign however ugly, huge, dangerous or energy- wasting, was a "violation of free speech." In the meantime, they've put up a lot of signs that are much harder to take down after the fact than to regulate upfront.
If Nick was an insider, he's an outsider now.
He's been kicked out of the sandbox.
So I'd rather have someone who knows the game to clean it up.
It's like hiring an ex-hacker to do computer security.
4:56 - I guess since the City wasn't following it's own law its really more of a victory for the billboard activists than it is for the City.
Though I don't agree with the billboard people I salute them nonetheless for their victory.
Nick is a great guy, but:
1) he is late to the party and Wendy has been running for two years;
2) All the elected officals have endorsed Wendy;
3) Wendy has a ton of money to spend;
4) Even if Nick matched her dollar for dollar, who can understand what he says? He needs a translator for his ads.
Verdict: Wendy in the primary...
January 09, 2009 1:16 AM
The one thing I don't see you mention is anything having to do with who would make for a better controller.
Higby at 5:08: No, as I said in the first place, this ruling specifically says that the city's 02 law was correctly written in the first place; and the city defended the law against a lawsuit from the billboard companies; however, Rocky allowed the billboard companies to persuade him in 06 to renogotiate the terms anyway to avoid a challenge and that's where all this problem comes from. Once he dumbly and willingly gave ClearChannel/CBS a much MORE favorable deal that the one which had stood up to legal challenge (that's where the LED conversions kicked in), it all fell apart and some CM's like Perry, Reyes, Wesson started to approve and push for "exemptions" which muddied the subsequent challenge and resulted in a ruling against the city on this grounds.
BUT the latest ruling confirms the original 02 billboard ban was NOT unconstitutional and should have been upheld firmly by the city and the courts. In the meantime, these LED things have proliferated (which no one predicted until they saw them, having relied on Rocky to advise them of consequences).
Yes the billboard activists like Dennis Hathaway are to be commended for sticking with the issue as volunteers, but there are several CM's who got the ball rolling almost 8 years ago, starting with Cindy Miczekewski.
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